1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed generally to a gap cover and more particularly, to a removable pickup truck gap cover adapted to bridge the gap created when a pickup truck tailgate is disposed in the horizontal, open position.
2. Background Art
Pickup trucks have been in use for many years. One primary function of a pickup is to transport materials from one location to another. Typically, discrete and large materials can be easily loaded and off-loaded onto/from a truck bed. A typical tailgate is configured to open to a horizontal position, that is, a position level with the truck bed. Most tailgates are designed to leave a gap between the tailgate and the truck bed for purposes of drainage or run-off from the truck bed. However, the gap that is designed for drainage and release of debris from the tailgate also allows aggregate materials, such as crushed rocks, sand, mulch, grain, debris and the like to enter the gap. This often plugs the gap and prevents proper closure of the tailgate.
Several solutions have been attempted to solve this problem. However, none of the prior art discloses a satisfactory solution where the original truck bed and its drainage design remain unmodified and intact. It is well known in the automobile industry that any modification performed to a vehicle typically depreciates its resale value. Additionally, it may cause other unintended consequences, such as deterioration in corrosion protection.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,664,822 to Rosenfield discloses a tailgate gap cover for attachment to pickup trucks to cover the gap formed between the tailgate and the truck bed. The tailgate gap cover includes a continuous structure having a truck bed panel, a tailgate panel and a folding panel that connects the truck bed panel and the tailgate panel. In use, the tailgate panel is secured to a tailgate and the truck bed panel is secured to a truck bed by common sheet metal fasteners and the folding panel is disposed over a gap to prevent ingress of debris. As such, Rosenfield's tailgate gap cover is not readily removable per use. Upon exposure to weather elements such as melting snow and road spray, this tailgate gap cover tends to retain moisture and debris within the truck bed in its closed position by not permitting easy drainage. Further, as the folding panel is configured to allow bending to accommodate opening and closing of a tailgate and is merely supported on its lengthwise periphery from the truck bed panel and the tailgate panel, heavy materials such as crushed rocks and sand tend to depress the folding panel when disposed over the same and presents a barrier to moving materials off the truck bed via the opened tailgate.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,763,945 to Murray discloses a tailgate track mat for preventing sand, dirt, gravel and other granular material from accumulating in the gap or track between the end of a truck bed and its tailgate, wherein the mat includes a resilient flexible strip of material extending over the track and transversely of the truck bed and tailgate. This disclosure employs magnets incorporated therein to allow the mat to slide in relation to the tailgate when the same pivots from the closed position to the open position. With this design, the mat does not automatically return to a predetermined position when the tailgate is then moved back to the closed position. This would likely cause it to become lodged in the tailgate gap thereby preventing the tailgate from closing. Additionally, if a truck having a truck mat, were loaded with material that covered the mat, the same would be further restricted from sliding back into position when the tailgate is moved from the open position to the closed position. This design further requires modification to the tailgate such that a portion of the mat can be fixedly secured by suitable screws to the tailgate.
It further is common practice to use a tarp as underlayment in materials transfer in order to protect the pickup truck bed from damage and to cover the tailgate gap. In such an instance, a tarp is positioned over the truck bed and the tailgate. The use of a tarp presents many challenges in that it is awkward to drape a tarp over the sidewalls of a truck bed and the tarp is easily torn or wrinkled with a shovel, a tool of choice, when working with aggregate materials disposed on the truck bed.
Thus, there exists a need for a gap cover that does not require modification to the tailgate and/or the truck bed and one that does not alter the drainage properties of the truck bed via the tailgate.